The Maruts

If you have witnessed a heavy monsoon lashing in the Indian subcontinent, then you will agree it can be intimidating. As the clouds gather, they can darken the skies even in the middle of an afternoon. Then without a warning the rain bursts through the clouds, the huge drops pound the earth. Every now and then, the sky lights up to a crackle of lightening, accompanied by thunder. Children, reach out for their parents, seeking safety. In that moment, as you gaze outside, from the comfort of your modern home, you see neither sky nor earth. You know that the rain is good for you, your community, yet as the ferocity builds up, you can’t help but feel a slight sense of trepidation.

Now, take away the protection offered by modern technology and education and transport yourself to 3000 BC. How would you react to this onslaught? It is this kind of shock and awe that inspired ancients to metamorphose elements of nature into their Gods and Goddesses.

The God that caused the rain – he had to be extremely powerful, if he were to be the cause of an event so ferocious and fearful – was Rudra. The storm or rain became Maruts, his offsprings and the cloud that bears the storm or rain became the mother, and was called Prsni.

Hymn 66 of Mandala VI contains fascinating details of this metamorphosis. The entire hymn is dedicated to the Maruts.

RV 6.066.03They who are Sons of the rain-pouring Rudra, whom the long-lasting One had power to foster:The Mighty Ones whose germ great Mother Prsni is known to have received for man’s advantage.

Verse 3 makes it clear that Rudra, the “rain-pouring” God is the father of the Maruts and that Prsni is the mother. That rain is beneficial to man is obvious and hence Prsni bore the germ for the advantage of mankind, even though it is no mean feat to bear the impetuous Maruts. The composer of the hymn recognizes this and hence glorifies Prsni as “great Mother”.

RV 6.066.04They shrink not from the birth; in this same manner still resting there they purge away reproaches.When they have streamed forth, brilliant, at their pleasure, with their own splendour they bedew their bodies.

RV 6.066.07No team of goats shall draw your car, O Maruts, no horse no charioteer be he who drives it.Halting not, reinless, through the air it travels, speeding alone its paths through earth and heaven.

The impetuous nature of the Maruts is apparent in Verse 4 and Verse 7 – they stream forth, brilliant at their own pleasure. They travel through the air at their own will, “halting not”, speeding through earth and heaven. Neither goats nor horses can draw their chariot, not can a charioteer drive it.

The imagery in Verse 6 is unmistakable.

RV 6.066.06When, strong in strength and armed with potent weapons, they had united well formed earth and heaven,Rodasi stood among these furious Heroes like splendour shining with her native brightness.

The earth and heaven appear united, the effect of a thunderstorm, when the clouds cover both in impenetrable darkness. And the recurring crackle of lightening is metamorphosed into Goddess Rodasi, by her very nature “splendour shinning with her native brightness”.

Now let us examine how various natural phenomenon that accompany a rain-storm have been transformed or metamorphosed into characteristics or aspects of the Maruts.

RV 6.066.11That swelling band I call with invocation, the brood of Rudra, armed with glittering lances.Pure hymns are meet for that celestial army: like floods and mountains have the Strong Ones battled.

The Maruts are considered a celestial rather than a terrestrial army, given that rain originates from the skies. Glittering rain drops transmute into lances. The “swelling” band is an obvious reference to a protracted downpour.

Rv 6.048.20May the kind excellence of him the Kind, loud Roarers! be our guide,Be it the God’s, O Maruts, or a mortal man’s who worships, ye impetuous Ones!

RV 6.048.15Bright as the host of Maruts mighty in their roar. May they bring Pusan free from foes;May they bring hither hundreds, thousands for our men: may they bring hidden stores to light, and make wealth easy to be found.

They signal their arrival or presence by loud roaring of loud signing, an attribute transmuted from thunder.

RV 6.049.11Ye who are youthful, wise, and meet for worship, come, Maruts, to the longing of the singer.Coming, as erst to Angiras, O Heroes, ye animate and quicken e’en the desert.

As one would expect, they are able to animate even the desert, i.e. rain could bring a desert to life.

Relation with Pusan

RV 6.048.15Bright as the host of Maruts mighty in their roar. May they bring Pusan free from foes;May they bring hither hundreds, thousands for our men: may they bring hidden stores to light, and make wealth easy to be found.

The two verse above suggest that the Maruts either bring Pusan to the worshipper or that Pusan follows the Maruts and brings ample bounty in his wake. Why? Because, Pusan is a pastoral deity, and a provider of pastures for grazing to the cattle, amongst other things. Can there be abundant pasture unless there is rain?

The Maruts are an interesting subject that is not explored so much these days. Thank you for the thread. I have a few thoughts to share about the Maruts. My own study of them is a video here:

The first point I would like to make is to Núri. Simply because words in non-related languages sound the same it is not proof they are related. Humans can only make a limited number of sounds, so what are the odds that some collections of these sounds will be indention? How does the Babylonian god relate to the Maruts? A closer parallel to the Maruts are the European legends of the Wild Hunt.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt

Examining all the mantras in the Vedas relating to the Maruts, they call into three categories: the monsoons (Rig Veda I 169:3; 171:6 & II 54:3), the celestial armies (RV I 39:4 & 86:1) but also an inner aspect of the Maruts within man. They are specifically identified with “vital airs,” or prana (Rig Veda I 107:1) and are called by the Risihs “pracetasas” or possessed of superior intelligence (RV I 39:3; 167:2; V 54:13 & VIII 7:2). They are “sapient Maruts” (RV I 86:2) who “dispel darkness (RV ibid, verse 10).

If the Maruts are just the monsoons, how are they associated with intelligence and how do they convey devotee “beyond sin?” (RV II 34:15)

A further inter-sting point to consider about the Maruts is that they all came into existence at the same time (RV V 66:5) are “of one mind” (RV II 34:5) and even “united to a common center like the spokes of a wheel of a chariot” (RV X 78:4). This seems to imply they have no individuality. Yet, there are contradictions about their origins: They are said to be the offspring of Lord Rudra (RV VII 56:1 & VIII 13:20) but also descended from Lord Indra (who is an Aditya, which Lord Rudra is not) (RV VI 17:13 & VII 18:11) as well as being deified sages (RV I 72:3 & 85:7).

It’s my personal view that there are deeper layers of meaning here that the Rishis are conveying to us.